A lot of folks who couldn’t bring themselves to watch soccer appear to be watching this World Cup, and for that we say, “Hooray.” In our welcome-to-the-neighborhood spirit, we offer a primer on The Other Football, which isn’t all that hard to understand (beyond the offside rule) but, like all sports, has its nuances.
1. The better side doesn't always win. The U.S. team stands as a case study. It was outplayed for most of its match against Ghana, having only 40 percent of possession while being outshot 21-8. But the U.S. scored ridiculously early (Clint Dempsey, 30 seconds in) and fashionably late (John Brooks Jr. in the 86th minute) to win 2-1. On Sunday the better-on-the-day Americans were seconds from clinching a spot in Round 2 by defeating Portugal, which entered the tournament ranked No. 4 by FIFA. Then Cristiano Ronaldo, just voted the world player of the year but never at his best in a World Cup, dropped a world-class cross onto the noggin of Silverstre Varela, whose goal was essentially the last play of the match. The jaw-dropping 2-2 draw left the U.S. with work to do.
2. FIFA rankings are The Other Football's version of the BCS standings, only less precise. Spain entered the event ranked No. 1 and this had merit: Spain had won the 2008 and 2012 European titles and the 2010 World Cup in between. But that aging champion has already been eliminated from this World Cup, as has forever-overblown England (No. 10). But Costa Rica (No. 28) is through, as the Brits say, to Round 2, and the U.S. (No. 13) was one kick away.
3. The U.S. plays Germany on Thursday, but that task mightn't be as tough as it looks. There has long been a wink-wink aspect to soccer, and this could be winks all around. Both the U.S. and Germany will advance with a draw. When neither side needs to win, neither tends to try very hard. There's also this: Jurgen Klinsmann, the U.S. coach, was one of the greatest German players ever — he was a dauntless striker on the 1990 World Cup winners — and has coached the German national team. His former assistant, Joachim "Jogi" Loew, is now the German coach. Klinsmann has denied that he and Jogi would agree to settle for a draw, but this match has nil-nil written all over it.
4. But wait. Doesn't the winner of this group face a lesser Round 2 opponent? The winner of Group G gets the runner-up from Group H, which could be Algeria (No. 22 in the FIFA rankings), Russia (No. 19) or South Korea (No. 57). The Group G runner-up figures to play Belgium (No. 11 and a hot choice to surprise in this tournament). But FIFA rankings, as noted, don't much matter, and neither does how you reach Round 2. All that matters is that you reach Round 2.
5. Has the U.S. ever advanced beyond the group stage? Three times, actually. In 1994 it lost to eventual champ Brazil, which was down to 10 men because Leonardo had been sent off for breaking Tab Ramos' cheekbone, 1-0 at Stanford Stadium on the Fourth of July. In 2002, it advanced to the quarterfinals by beating hated rival Mexico but lost 1-0 to Germany on a headed goal by Michael Ballack, now an ESPN commentator. (Defender Torsten Frings denied a U.S. goal by using his hand, a violation seen by everyone but the referee.) In 2010 the Americans advanced as group winners but were ousted by Ghana on a goal in extra time, which is why beating Ghana was such a big deal this time.
6. Back to Spain. What the heck happened? Spain is the master of the short pass, a style known as tiki-taka, and many opponents have learned to combat tiki-taka via all-out defending — this is known as "parking the bus" across the goalmouth — and trying to score only on counterattacks. That said, age surely had more to do with it than tactics.
7. Why did Klinsmann tell The New York Times Magazine that the U.S. "cannot win this World Cup"? In politics, it's known as driving down expectations. In sports, it's known as gamesmanship. But he's probably right. It would be an upset beyond any in soccer annals if the nation that takes The Other Football less seriously than most every other hoists the (surprisingly small) gold trophy.
8. How far will the U.S. go? It will draw with Germany to advance, will upset Belgium in Round 2 and will be ousted by Argentina in the quarterfinals. In the grand scheme, that'd be one heck of a run.
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